The Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu has not been effectively managing the goods (baggage) mistakenly left by the passengers.
As the TIA has not framed a procedure to manage the goods forgotten by the passengers in the airport premises, the goods are often left upon the airport staffers’ responsibility. This has raised a question about the effective operation and responsibility of the airport.
The TIA does not check whether the airport staffers have given the goods to the respective passengers or not. However, the airport does publish some of the goods found in the airport.
Santosh Kumar Pokharel, an official in the TIA, said that they send the goods to their respective owners to the extent possible. “But if it not possible to hand over the stuff to the owner, we store it in the airport premises,” he added.
He complained that the airport officials had to face plenty of difficulties as there is no hard-and-fast rule as to until when the goods should be stored if the concerned owner does not come in contact.
“Currently, we have stuff that is as old as 12 years,” said Pokharel, adding that the absence of contact numbers in the left goods would make it difficult for the airport officials to trace the owner.
Moreover, as the officials to whom the responsibility of managing stranded goods are given are often posted to other offices, no inspection takes place to find out whether they have handed over the goods to the concerned person or not.
Bijaya Shrestha, deputy chairman of Himalayan Airlines, said that a legal framework could be made in order to manage the stranded goods in the airport and revenue can be collected by auctioning them.
“Many cases of losing luggage in the airport are reported frequently. Thus, the concerned authority should ensure effective management of lost or forgotten goods,” said Shrestha.
Source : TRN,
